AERALIS

AERALIS is a British aerospace company, founded in August 2015 by Tristan Crawford, developing a family of modular light military aircraft. The project, initially named Dart, started in the early 2010s and was publicly announced in June 2015. Crawford's background in the civil aerospace sector and his experience at QinetiQ inspired the concept of applying modularity to military aircraft to increase flexibility and reduce costs. After observing different aircraft like the Tucano and Hawk T1 performing similar roles with entirely different parts, he identified a need for rationalization through a common core design.

The company's core innovation is a reconfigurable aircraft system based on a Common Core Fuselage (CCF). This design allows for different wings, engines, and avionics to be interchanged, creating multiple aircraft variants from a single platform with over 85% parts commonality. Variants include basic and advanced jet trainers, light combat aircraft, aerobatic display jets, and uncrewed platforms for roles like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) or air-to-air refueling. This modularity aims to reduce acquisition and through-life maintenance costs by over 30% compared to traditional, single-point aircraft designs.

AERALIS operates in the defense aviation market, primarily serving global air forces. The business model is centered on providing not just an aircraft, but a complete training system, which includes integrated ground-based synthetic trainers and a modular syllabus. The company is also pioneering a "Defence Aviation as a Service" model, where aircraft can be leased and reconfigured as operational needs change, maximizing the asset's revenue-generating life. Revenue is generated through aircraft sales, leasing, and comprehensive support and maintenance services.

The company has secured significant partnerships and funding. It received a £9 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) in December 2022 for digital engineering services as part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). AERALIS also holds a contract with the RAF's Rapid Capabilities Office to develop its PYRAMID open-architecture avionics system. Key investors include Barzan Holdings, a Qatari sovereign wealth fund, which made a significant investment to support the development and first flight of the Advanced Jet Trainer. AERALIS collaborates with numerous industry leaders, including Thales, Siemens, Atkins, Martin-Baker, and the International Turbine Engine Company (ITEC). Keywords: modular aircraft, military jet trainer, common core fuselage, defence aviation, reconfigurable aircraft, digital engineering, light combat aircraft, aerospace design, open mission system architecture, air force fleet rationalisation, AERSYSTEM, advanced jet trainer, uncrewed aerial systems, defence-as-a-service, military pilot training, PYRAMID avionics, Global Combat Air Programme, UK aerospace, flight training systems, Tristan Crawford